Irish Daily Mail

Martens murder trial begins

- By Catherine Fegan Chief Correspond­ent

JURY selection gets under way today in the murder trial of Molly Martens and her retired FBI agent father, Tom over the 2015 death of her husband, Limerickma­n Jason Corbett. The process, say experts, will be lengthy and thorough. The judge in the case has ruled against US media requests for courtroom TV coverage.

THE trial of Molly Martens and her father Thomas over the death of Limerick man Jason Corbett begins today – and the jury selection process is expected to take several days, according to authoritie­s in the US.

Mr Corbett, 39, was found bludgeoned to death in his North Carolina home in August 2015.

His widow Molly, 36, and her father Tom, 66, will go on trial this week at the Davidson County Courthouse in Lexington, North Carolina, after being charged with second-degree murder and involuntar­y manslaught­er.

The process of selecting 14 jurors to decide their fate will begin today.

‘There will be many questions asked of each juror,’ said a member of staff from the Davidson County Clerk’s Office. ‘The hope is to get the best 14 jurors possible.’

Defence lawyers for Ms Martens and her father have indicated that the selection process will be lengthy and thorough.

The team applied, unsuccessf­ully, for a change of venue for the trial due to concerns over media publicity, which they argued made it impossible to form an unbiased jury.

They also claimed that there were close ties between the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office and the family of Jason Corbett. Judge David Lee ruled that the defence had failed to show such prejudice against their clients. He said the trial should stay in Davidson County.

Prosecutor­s have called a jury pool of 300 people for the trial.

During selection, jurors will be questioned extensivel­y on any links they have to Davidson County Sheriff’s Office. They will also be examined on their knowledge of the trial to date. This process is expected to take at least three days

Mr Corbett’s sister Tracey Lynch and her husband David will give evidence during the trial, which is expected to take up to three weeks. The couple – who have custody of Mr Corbett’s two children, Jack and Sarah – travelled to North Carolina from Ireland over the weekend.

Mr Corbett was found bludgeoned to death in the home he shared with Ms Martens and his two children in Winston Salem, North Carolina, on August 2, 2015.

His wife and father-in-law both deny the charges against them.

Meanwhile, the judge presiding over the trial has ruled against requests from several US media outlets for rolling TV camera coverage from inside the courtroom.

 ??  ?? Accused: Molly Martens at a court hearing in Carolina
Accused: Molly Martens at a court hearing in Carolina
 ??  ?? Bludgeoned: Jason Corbett
Bludgeoned: Jason Corbett

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